Software development platforms exist for various application types and various operating environments. For example, rapid application development (RAD) packages exist for Web application frameworks and other environments, in which common or typical functional modules can be incorporated from code libraries into software prototypes, to allow a designer to assemble a desired larger software system without having to do original coding.
Existing software development platforms for the desktop or a local network entail certain drawbacks for the developer community, however. For one, it may represent a significant investment in expense, time, and training for a developer to acquire the various RAD or other development tools necessary to carry out an intended software build. Further, once a software prototype is built, developers typically wish to exercise or validate the build against a suite of test data, but installing reliable data sources to carry out debugging and validation may likewise represent a burdensome task. It may be desirable to provide methods and systems for application development that avoid the limitations and reduce the costs and complexities of traditional software development platforms.